I have undoubtedly had friends and family members ask me, "How do you teach elementary-aged children when you don't speak their language? Isn't a Korean English teacher better equipped for the task?" I have thought a lot about the reasoning behind having a Native English Teacher (NET) in the Korean public school system. Through the accounts of others and my own personal experience I believe that there are several advantages to having a NET in the school.
1.) Many Korean children never interact with foreigners I think this is an important factor for having a NET in the classroom. Korea is after all the most homogeneous country in the world. Look in any Korean school and you are hard-pressed to find anyone not of Korean heritage. If not for me, my students would never meet someone with a different culture and a different physical appearance. 2.) Having an NET in the school provides a more concrete example of the value of learning English I often reflect on my own experience learning Spanish. When I was in high school and even college, I really didn't have any native speakers with whom I could practice. However, once I went on my study-abroad experience in Costa Rica, I suddenly was given ample opportunities to practice the language. This made the language learning suddenly much more important, and I found myself running to my dictionary to look up a word that I didn't know. By having an English-only speaker in their school, the kids are forced to use the language to be able to communicate with their NET, making the language more valuable and real in their eyes. 3.) The NET provides native English pronunciation Even the best Korean English speakers that I have met have some kind of accent. Being able to provide that native English accent provides the students an opportunity to hear how English sounds from a native speaker with no accent. 4.) The NET is often able to create classes that break from the mold of normal Korean classes Many curriculum Korean English classes use rote memorization and boring CD's to present the subject of English. My classes are a complete break from this kind of learning. Teaching in an after-school setting with complete free reign over the topics and lesson style, I am able to present information in a fun and exciting style. I incorporate games, total physical response activities, and task-based lessons to present the subject of English in an interesting and memorable way.
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AuthorCliff is an adjunct professor at Yonsei University, Wonju campus. Archives
December 2019
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